Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris

Among the few hundred authors topping the bestseller charts, there are, perhaps, less than a dozen of truly prolific writers. Among all of them, I can think only of two who write for multiple genres and age groups. James Patterson is probably the most famous, but, I submit, Bella Forrest is by far the most talented. This latest installment, the sixth in a series that might conclude in Book 7, or Book 8, is an excellent Action-Adventure. I found the romance angle was good, but the action and intrigue are the highlight.

One Note: If you haven’t read the previous books, I think you’ll find this less rewarding than it otherwise would be. You also will need to read the next book, which is slated for publication in April.

BLUSH FACTOR: The only profanities are the word rhyming with dam. “Harley Merlin 6” is a safe read for your prayer group and would be a good selection for your youngster. Your 80-year old grandmother will love it.

POV: Each chapter is shown to us in the first person perspective of whomever it is we are seeing it through. The character who serves as our narrator is indicated at the Chapter heading, so confusion is minimized. I think first person works best for stories such as this, as our sense of intrigue and immediacy makes us readers feel as though we are with the narrator.

WRITING AND EDITING: Professionally edited with an eye to detail.

EXCERPT:

Rather than post an excerpt, I recommend you to read the first book in the series. I’m betting you get drawn in to this magical tale and, before finishing the first book, will have done as I – purchased each Kindle Edition and each available Audible Edition at the reduced cost. Listening to the narrator speak to me as I read along is my favorite reading adventure.

BOTTOM LINE

The writing is terrific. Forrest is one of the few writers who remembers to use the sense of touch and smell while drawing us our picture. Alas, though, as each story draws to the end of its episode, we are left with an unfulfilled story that forces us to wait impatiently for the next book. Therefore, I can’t give five stars.

Four stars out of five.

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I wanna start by saying i love Bella Forrest. All her series are captivating including this one. However this book and this series particularly seems to drag on. I feel like we know Hayley isn’t going stop Katherine until after the last ritual so every new book is the hero going up against impossible odds and coming out alive but without really accomplishing anything.

I bought and read the first book and found it diverting enough. A California millennial witch foster child who discovers a magical world. The first book had some character development and was quirky enough. I bought several more books in the series. By book 5 I had had enough, set the story down and walked away. The plot was repetitive and completely predictable. There were long passages about teenage angst but little to develop the characters or the “magical world” in a detailed way. I got so upset with the same plot reversal that I could not tolerate any more of the story. This series was advertised as the next thing for Harry Potter readers. The language and story telling is not even is same class as JK Rowling. Completely disappointing. You are warned!

I loved having Finch in this book. I think he was the best character there and Harley was more of a side character I still get annoyed with how immature she can be and I will admit it’s becoming a bit formulaic with battling Katherine, then they almost win but Katherine manages to beat them at the last second. Looking forward to the rest of the stories though.

This book felt the most different from the rest of the series, though I still enjoyed it. The emphasis on this story was placed on the action, rather than on Harley’s romantic feelings, which in the other books felt like was just as important as the events. Wade’s role get’s downgraded to supporting cast much more than the other books. Even in the past, when it wasn’t his POV we were focused on, he was still an ever present fixture in Harley’s story. That’s not the case for this book.

Although I felt Wade’s absence, that’s not to say this book is devoid from emotion– there’s plenty of it, it just comes from a non-romantic angle, which was also nice to see developed. However, even though the book is filled with action, the most frustrating part to me was that it felt like, in the end, the story the majority of the book told was unnecessary. Without giving anything away, the task Harley spends most of the story attempting to accomplish is actually sort of pointless story-wise given the result. With that said, I certainly enjoyed being along for the ride, regardless. And I eagerly look forward to the release of the next book, and hope we get a bit more of the Harley and Wade dynamic in there.

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